Death of Two More Hostages in Hamas Captivity; Clashes Continue in Gaza

On Monday, August 1, Israel confirmed the death of two more hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the terrorist attack on October 7. The Israeli army stated that it is investigating the cause of death of Yaakov Buchstahow, 35, a sound technician, and Alex Danzig, 75, a historian. Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences in a post in Hebrew on X and reiterated his commitment to bringing all hostages back, alive or dead. The Hostage Families Association released a statement expressing sorrow over the news, reminding that these two individuals were alive when kidnapped on October 7 and should have returned alive to their families and country. Alex Danzig also held Polish citizenship, prompting the Polish Foreign Ministry to express condolences over his death and call for the unconditional release of all hostages taken during Hamas's attack on southern Israel. The announcement of the deaths of the two Israeli hostages comes as Netanyahu's office announced on Sunday that the Israeli negotiating team would head to the resumption site of negotiations on Thursday. The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2022, when militants from this Palestinian militant group and its allies attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Approximately 120 hostages remain in Hamas's custody in Gaza, and this group has not released any news or information regarding their status. Israel believes that about one-third of these hostages have died in Hamas captivity. Both Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Netanyahu, before departing for the U.S., briefly stated to reporters, 'Israel's enemies should know that America and Israel stand together today, tomorrow, and always.' He thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for his assistance to Israel over the decades and mentioned that the upcoming meeting would be an opportunity to discuss advancing the important goals of both countries in the critical months ahead. Netanyahu outlined these shared goals as achieving the freedom of all hostages, defeating Hamas, countering the terrorist axis of the Iranian regime, and ensuring that all Israeli citizens can safely return to their homes in both the north and south. In addition to meeting and discussing with Biden, scheduled for Tuesday, Netanyahu will also address Congress on Wednesday. Following the resumption of Hamas attacks from Khan Younis and Israel's order for civilians to evacuate certain neighborhoods in that city, Israeli fighter jets and tanks bombed Palestinian militant positions, resulting in dozens of injuries or deaths. Nasser Hospital officials in Khan Younis called on Gazans to go to medical centers and donate blood due to the high number of casualties. After the October 7 terrorist attack and the subsequent Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip aimed at destroying Hamas and freeing hostages, many Gazan civilians have lost their lives due to Israeli attacks on Palestinian militant positions. Hamas claims that 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the past nine months without specifying the number of militants killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza. The Persian section of Voice of America cannot verify Hamas's claims. Israeli officials announced on Monday that a Canadian citizen who attacked an Israeli citizen with a knife in southern Israel was shot dead. According to an Israeli army statement, this Canadian citizen threatened members of the rapid response team present at the scene with a knife upon exiting his vehicle and was immediately shot dead by one of the team members. Saudi Arabia called for 'maximum restraint' following Israel's attack on the Houthis. The Israeli Foreign Minister stated that Erdogan has turned Turkey into a 'terrorism-supporting' country. Israeli fighter jets attacked 'two military warehouses' of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Rocket fire from Yemen triggered alarms in Eilat; Israel stated that the Islamic Republic 'endangers global peace.' The Israeli army reported that '150 terrorists' were killed in Gaza over the past week. Israeli media reported that Gallant is issuing a public statement to pressure Netanyahu to accept an agreement. Blinken stated that ceasefire negotiations in Gaza are nearing the finish line. The Israeli parliament opposed a symbolic resolution for the establishment of an 'independent Palestinian state.' The Israeli Defense Minister stated that military operations in Gaza have created conditions for an agreement regarding hostages. Axios claimed that a secret meeting was held between Israeli officials, the Palestinian Authority, and the U.S. The U.S. requested the Security Council to pressure Hamas to accept a 'ceasefire and the release of hostages.'